Appeals court strikes down Voting Rights Act tool

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT) - A federal appeals court ruled against the driving power used to enforce the Voting Rights Act on Monday.

According to CNN Politics, the ruling stems from a redistricting case in Arkansas.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that private entities cannot bring lawsuits under section two of the law.

If it stands, the decision would greatly weaken the remaining parts of the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 to counter racial discrimination in elections.

“Today, the Eighth Circuit became the first federal court of appeals to make clear that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is not privately enforceable. Only the United States may bring such a claim, and as a result, the Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision throwing out the NAACP and ACLU’s lawsuit challenging Arkansas’s redrawn legislative districts. This is a victory for our citizens and for the rule of law,” said Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. “For far too long, courts across the country have allowed political activists to file meritless lawsuits seeking to seize control of how states conduct elections and redistricting. This decision confirms that enforcement of the Voting Rights Act should be handled by politically accountable officials and not by outside special interest groups.”

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